Koscuiszko National Park

Check my DIN! (private joke with the other Selwyn-ators!)

Koscuiszko National Park was the place I worked for 2 months when I was in Australia. It was a little family-run business (at the time) called Selwyn Snowfields.

When Robyn and I arrived in Oz, we were lucky enough to meet friends of friends of friends; friends³. ‘Mike’ had worked here for several years in his earlier days and he raved about the place. He instantly had us hooked. The only thing we were worried about was experience, we had never worked in the snow, we were Poms!

This was our little home for the best part of 2 months. This was taken on a very cold morning. Nothing worse than a frosty box!

With a little optimism and a good word from Mike, we got jobs! I was working in customer service and fitted people up for skis, boards, boots, helmets etc and Robyn worked as a ski instructor for kids. They wanted her to train to ski and then teach little kids to ski… all within a week.

Yeah… I got the better deal here.

We stayed in a place near to the mountain (about 40 mins drive) called Adaminaby, which was a small little ‘town’. Saying that, it had a pub, charity shop, convenience store and a ski hire shop… that’s enough to call it a town? Right?! I think a pub would have been sufficient enough!

It’s a bit fuzzy because Chris couldn’t hold the camera straight 😉 But you get the picture. Some of the clan come round to celebrate Eri’s birthday. Balloons, cake and small pointy hats. Job done.

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When we arrived at the house, it was furnished, but didn’t have the essentials; bedding, washing up stuff, a few plates, saucepans etc. So we sent the ladies packing and asked them for a few things we all needed such as individual items.

“…yeah just get me any decent quilt cover, anything will do”

Buses, diggers and some small cars.

I was not going to get laid during my stay here! Well, it happened, just not in this room. This great event took place on the sofa. Next door!

Standard Pommy class.

So we ploughed on through the weeks of working, saving, house parties (me being sensible and not going to one EVERY night like some people!), attempting to snowboard, NEVER skiiing, twisting my knee, eating the best burgers ever – Poor Man’s, snowball fights, getting slightly drunk… you get the picture. The best times of our lives!

Lake Eucumbene with a view, a beer, great company and some food (most important but not in the photo!)

On our days off, we’d each do out own thing. Working hard in customer service all day was stressful and we needed a place to unwind. I think we were al bored one day and had nothing to do, so Darren and Liz took us all to the lake (about 8 of us) which was about 30 mins drive.

And boy was it worth it.

To this day, and this is 2 years after being there now I am writing about it, the experience from Lake Eucumbene was the best I have ever had in terms of almost everything.

It was the most desolate place I have ever been to. There was literally no sound, apart from us chatting. When we stopped, there were no birds chirping, no wind howling, no trees rustling, no animals scurrying around – Nothing. Zip. Nada.

It was so surreal. It was cold, probably about 4-5 degrees, but when something is that magnificent to look at the weather to a certain extent doesn’t come into the equation.

Stupidly though, we ‘thought’ that jumping in the lake was a good idea…

The answer you are all looking for and needing to hear is ‘Yes it was’, but inevitably it wasn’t. Upon jumping in was like 1,000 knives stabbing your body all at once. The pain from the cold water was indescribable. Okay, a little overboard, but it was cold.

The above photo was post-jump and after immersing from the water things appeared a little smaller than normal and they needed warming and enlarging up, say no more!

I’m not sure who that homeless girl is next to me…

These are all of the photos combined in a gallery. There are still more to come but I am waiting on certain people to get back to me with some photos… Jim… you still alive?

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This was our little home for the best part of 2 months. This was taken on a very cold morning. Nothing worse than a frosty box!

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It’s a bit fuzzy because Chris couldn’t hold the camera straight 😉 But you get the picture. Some of the clan come round to celebrate Eri’s birthday. Balloons, cake and small pointy hats. Job done.

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I’ve just being having a root round upstairs and found some absolute gems of memories from Selywn. It’s a note on a refrigerator I kept which had stupid sayings and swear words on; mainly aimed towards the lady who was dealing with our rented accommodation… fuck you RAINBOW! (That’s one for you there Chris).

I also found a signed t-shirt which has got quotes from the people I was there with…

I enlarged this one because it’s my favourite. It will only make sense to a handful of people; borrowers. There names be (very pirate like!) Chris, Eri, Belle, Robyn and Claire.

The best comment/line on there has got to be ‘helllllo? McFly?!’

Overall, this experience was out of this world! Not quite in space, but those mountains were pretty high! I would recommend it to anyone who is going to Australia for traveling purposes as you don’t need ANY experience, just a good word from me and you’ll have a job eh Jack?

Jack recently went traveling to Oz and I hooked him up with a job after a few emails back and fourth with Selwyn. Originally they offered me a place back in Ski Hire (customer service) but I politely declined their offer. I mentioned Jack had fab experience in customer service back her in the UK and they snapped him up like a crocodile eating it’s lunch!